US to n. Argentina; in our area, 12 spp. occur east of the Mississippi river, and several of these are widely distributed throughout the country(2)

Habitat

Woodlands, and more open areas (?)

Season

Jul-Sep in se. US

Food

insects (often larger than themselves), mostly aculeate Hymenoptera, but also Odonata and Diptera (incl. members of the same species)(2)

nocturnal feeding reported by Dennis (1978, Proc.Ent.Soc.Wash. 80:313); P. Coin has seen one under a light in NC

Life Cycle

Genus is known to have courtship behavior. Oviposits in ground, and ovipositor equipped with spines to aid in covering eggs. Larvae are possibly predators in soil, but specific information is lacking for this genus in references seen to date (P. Coin, July 2006).

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